Edge guides for sewing machines



A ril 25, 1961 WITNESS C. R. TILLSTROM EDGE GUIDES FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 51, 1958 Fig.3

INVENTOR. Carl R. Til Isfrom T TORNE Y United States PatentO Ice EDGE GUIDES FOR SEWING MACHINES Carl R. Tillstrom, Easton, Coun., assignor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N J a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 724,984

3 Claims. (Cl. 112-136) This invention relates to work guiding devices for a sewing machine and more particularly to a novel and improved means for mounting a work guiding device on a sewing machine.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for guiding a work fabric to the stitching point of a sewing machine which guide device is movable from an operative position to an inoperative position in which the stitching area is unobstructed for removal and repositioning of work fabrics.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a work guide which is movable into an inoperative position determined by a stop means formed on the spring which biases the work guide into the inoperative position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a work guide which is biased into an inoperative position and provided with a latch device efiective automatically to hold the work guide accurately in operative position and, under the influence of the machine operator, to release the work guide quickly for movement into inoperative position.

With the above and additional objects and advantages as will hereinafter appear, this invention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings of a preferred embodiment in which:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevational view of the work supporting post of a sewing machine having a work guiding device of this invention applied thereto and illustrated in operative position,

Fig. 2 represents a side elevational view similar to Fig. 1 but with the work guiding device illustrated in inoperative position,

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the work supporting post and the work guiding device of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of the spring used to bias the work guiding device into inoperative position.

In the drawings, 11 indicates a sewing machine work supporting post to which the work guiding device of this invention is applied in the preferred embodiment. A post is a well known form of sewing machine work supporting bed, however, it will be understood that this invention may be applied to other types of sewing machine beds other than those of the post type.

Carried in the post 11 is a loop-taker (not shown) which cooperates with an endwise reciprocating needle 12 in the formation of stitches. A conventional feed wheel 13 is carried in the post and operates upwardly through a throat plate 14 which is also apertured as at 15 to accommodate the endwise reciprocatory needle. A roller presser or driven top feed roller 16 may be arranged to oppose the feed wheel 13.

Illustrated in the drawings is a barber type oscillating work trimmer 20 of conventional construction having a vertical cutting edge 21 disposed to oscillate along a shoulder 22 formed on the throat plate. The Work trimmer 20 is thus adapted to sever only the bottom ply of a plurality of plies of work material.

The work guiding device of this invention is adapted 2,981,216 Patented Apr. 25, 1961 to guide the upper ply or plies of work material, i.e., those not severed by the work trimmer 20, at a uniform distance from the stitching point. An edge guiding finger 25 is carried on an arm 26 slotted as at 27 to accommodate screws 28 by which the arm is adjustably secured to a platform 29 of an angle bracket 30. The bracket 30 by way of the slot 27 and screws 28 thus supports the work guide for adjustment toward and away from the stitching point of the sewing machine when the parts occupy the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3.

The work guide supporting bracket 30 is pivoted about a horizontal axis on the side of the post 11 by a pivot pin 31 which is secured in the post by a set screw 32. A hub 33 fixed on the bracket 30 embraces the pivot pin 31 and serves not only as a Washer for spacing the bracketfrom the side of the post but also by virtue of a radial hole 34 formed therein serves toanchor one free extremity 35 of a torsion spring 36. The spring 36 encircles the hub 33 and the pivot pin 31 and is formed with a second free extremity 37 which is secured to the post 11 beneath the pivot pin 31 by a screw 38. The spring 36 is preferably applied to the guide supporting bracket in a stressed condition urging the bracket in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2. The free extremity 37 of the spring is formed with an ofiset loop 39 which serves, as illustrated in Fig. 2, as a stop limiting movement of the bracket 30 in response to the action of the spring 36.

Pivoted on the side of the post 11 on a fulcrum screw 40 is a latch lever 41 formed with a latch finger 42 which seats in a latch notch 43 formed in the guide supporting bracket 30 to hold the guide bracket in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. A washer 44 is placed on the fulcrum screw 40 between the latch lever 41 and the post and a torsion coil spring 45 is clamped tightly between the washer and the post.

The free extremity of the torsion spring 45 is anchored in a hole 46 formed on the latch lever 40. The spring 45 serves to bias the latch lever 40 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, thus to bias the latch finger 42 toward the guide supporting bracket 30.

In operation, the work guiding finger 25 together with the bracket 30, may be turned by the operator into an operative position overlying the post 11, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The guide will be latched automatically in operative position by the latch lever 41 and held in this position during sewing operations. When it is desired to remove or reposition work on the post, the operator may efiect a shift of the work guiding device to an inoperative position by simply depressing the latch lever 41 to release the latch finger 42 from the notch 43. The torsiou spring 36 will then urge the bracket 30 to an inoperative position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in which the work guiding finger 25 is disposed at one side of the post 11 and the entire work supporting area on the post is clear of the work guide so that work material may be manipulated without interference therewith. Swing out movement of the work guide and'the supporting bracket 30 will be limited by the stop 39 formed as a part of the spring 36, which stop determines the inoperative position of the work guide. I I

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is:

1. A work guiding device for a sewing machine having a work supporting bed, comprising a work guiding member, means for pivotally supporting said work guiding member on said sewing machine bed for turning movement of said work guiding member into and out of an operative position on said bed, a torsion spring encircling said pivotal supporting means, means for securing said latch lever and on said work guiding'member, and spring means for biasing said latch lever toward said work guiding member.

3. A work guiding device for a sewing machine having a vertically extending work supporting'post, comprising a guide supporting bracket, means pivdtally supporting said bracket onthe side of said post'for turning moveinent about a horizontal axis, a work'guide ea ned by said bracket and disposed for turninghio vernent with said bracket from an operativepo" work supporting postto an'inoperfat ve position" at one side of said post; a torsion spring biasing said guidesup porting bracket'into inoperative position, means securing one extremity of said torsion spring to said supporting on overlying said bracket and the other extremity of said torsion spring to said post beneath said pivotal bracket supporting means, a stop means formed on said spring for engagement with said guide supporting bracket to define a predetermined inoperative position of said work guide; a latch lever, means pivoting said latch lever to said post beneath said pivotal bracket supporting means, a latch finger formed in said latch lever, said guide supporting bracket formed with latch finger "accommodating notch means for engagement with said latch finger in the operative position of said work guide, and spring meansfor biasing said latch lever upwardly toward said guide supporting bracket.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,684,453 Lyons Sept. 18, 1928 1,891,029 Stein Dec. 13, 1932 1,963,933 Card June 19, 1934 Schwe da July 15, 1952 

